The Portland Journey Begins!

7/18/2015

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for your patience the last two months, while Jordan and I relocated, reestablished ourselves and settled on solid ground.

It's been a whirlwind, to say the least. Over the last six weeks I have:

~Moved all my belongings into storage

~Interviewed for a new job

~Auditioned for an internship with Third Rail Repertory Theater (and got it!)

~Said goodbye to Southern Oregon!

~Gone to Texas for a week (to visit Jordan's extended family)

~Started a new job the day we got back from Texas

~Hunted for an apartment in a seller's market (Portland is at 98% capacity!)

~FOUND ONE!

~Moved our stuff out of storage

~Moved in!

And in the midst of all this I have used every spare moment to make Enso connections, find space for our show, and begin putting the pieces together for an education program. So here is how that's been going: AWESOME.

I sent out a big email to some Portland theater folks to see if anyone was willing to chat with me over coffee. I ended up meeting with 5 or 6 different people, all of whom were eager to help and provided me with lots of useful information about the theater community.

I've contacted just about every high school and college in the Portland/Beaverton area, offering our free Jane Austen workshops and asking if we might be able to rent space. I've also contacted a number of theaters--in fact, I am currently in conversation with the Artists' Repertory Theatre (considered by some to be the second-largest theater in Portland) to rent their space.

Dennis Foster, co-founder of the Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts (where I taught acting in Southern Oregon) has given me an acting instructor position with his group, and has been absolutely stellar in his support for Enso and our project. He is connecting me with many valuable people in the area and helping to boost my reputation so that we can slowly build support for an Enso Theatre Education program.

Our new apartment is half-furnished and filled with unpacked boxes, but it is TOTALLY WORTH IT, to be able to spend time creating this beautiful thing. In fact, I'm currently writing you whilst sitting on my floor with our computer in front of me, also on the floor. :)

I also wanted to share with you where some of the money is going. Because of your spectacular support, I was actually able to pay four of the behind-the-scenes people who were absolutely critical to the success of this Kickstarter: Arden Kilzer created our poster for the staged reading, Autumn Harrison edited two of our promotional videos, Garrett Lushingtonmanaged our website, and Logan Anderson, as you know, is our phenomenal musician. THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU GUYS for helping me make this happen!

Quick Tangent: Logan Anderson has actually launched his own Kickstarter, to assist the making of his second album "The Company" (some of you will be receiving it as part of your reward for donating to this campaign!). I've heard a few of the songs on this album and it is awesome. Plus, it's always fun to guess what kind of instrument Logan is using, because he's used everything from tea cups to plastic bags. Check out his Kickstarter here, listen to the songs in his video and see if you can guess the instruments he uses: http://kck.st/1GK5Kkb

Part of the money will also help us to pay a marketing student to manage all our social media pages, and to connect us with places to hang flyers, etc, as we prepare for the show. So if anyone knows a Portland college student studying marketing, looking for a little extra cash, but mostly for resume experience, please let us know!

And last but not least, I've begun yet another editing process with the script...seeing the staged reading come together was incredibly helpful in allowing me to see what works and what doesn't. I'm very excited about some of the new changes being made. :)

Thank you so much everyone for your love and support! Keep a watchful eye, because as soon as we solidify a space, we will be in full-tilt advertise and spread-the-love mode.

All the best,

Caitlin

Authors

Caitlin Lushington is the Co-Artistic Director of the Enso Theatre Ensemble, a teacher, director, and actress. Sometimes she works too hard, sometimes she forgets things, and she strives to put the car keys back in the same place every time. She drinks tea every morning from her TARDIS mug and "Mr. Tea" diffuser. She loves the morning and wishes she had a photographic memory, so she could remember the names of every person she meets.

Peyton McCandless is an actor, singer, teacher, and Global Somatics™ Practitioner who until recently hailed from St. Paul, Minnesota. Recent collaborations include: 105 Proof (or, the Killing of Mack “the Silencer” Klein), These Old Shoes, Ash Land (Transatlantic Love Affair); Twelfth Night, The Good Woman of Setzuan (Theatre Pro Rata); Silkworms (a nun play) (Theatre Unbound); and Jesus Christ Superstar (The Chameleon Theatre Circle). When she’s not onstage she teaches at Northwest Children’s Theater and School, reads her way through large piles of books, and impulse-buys her favorite pens.

Kylie Rose is a Portland-based actress, light lyric soprano, puppeteer, and dialect coach who hails from Kelso, Washington. Kylie received her training studying classical theatre and regional dialects in England for a year courtesy of the Dr. Betty Evans Shakespeare Scholarship and she graduated with her BFA in Theater Performance from Central Washington University. Notable collaborations include playing Liesl in Leavenworth Summer Theater's "The Sound of Music," Helena in Richmond Theater's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Neddy Nederlander in Stage Works Ink's "The 3 Amigos... Live!,” and dialect coaching Defunkt Theater’s recent production of “Blasted." She looks forward to her future artistic adventures in the Portland area.

Helena Fisher-Welsh is a Portland native who has spent the last four years in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she earned her B.F.A. in acting from the University of British Columbia. Recent theatre credits in Vancouver include Why I Hate Utah (Rising Phoenix Theatre), Salt Water Moon, Chamber Music, The Bacchae 2.0 Twelfth Night, Little One, and The Seagull (all UBC productions). Her last performance in Portland was almost six years ago in Artists Repertory Theatre's production of Ah, Wilderness!. She's happy to be back and to be joining Enso Theatre Ensemble in this wonderful production!

What Our SUPPORTERS Are Saying

"...it’s a truth that ought to be universally acknowledged, that the Enso Theatre’s production of Pride & Prejudice is a must-see show, and that Caitlin Lushington as adaptor of classic stories is going to be a force to be reckoned with..."

~Jane Austen Society of North America

"Her energy, open-heart and boundless creativity makes Caitlin Lushington pure magic...I am so thankful she has created a place [Word Elf Theater Classes] where my son can let his imagination run free..."

~Parent

"I can confidently say [The R&J Project] was the best audition I have ever been to. I am incredibly inspired by your ability to seemingly get the best possible work from all the actors you work with..."

~Artist